Professional surfers are no strangers to the challenges and perils nature poses. Devastating stories have surfaced with calamitous ends when thrill-seekers attempted to conquer mammoth waves during a storm surge; the events surrounding Hurricane Irma in 2017 have proven no exception. Teenage rising star of the surfing world, Zander Venezia, met an untimely end whilst pushing the boundaries amid mega-swell waves in Barbados.
As Corey Senese, career surfer and founder of Montauk-based surfing school CoreysWave, pointed out, an unexpected storm surge amid hurricane season, particularly in September, is far from uncommon. However, despite the array of worrisome stories linked to these meteorological events, the appeal for surf enthusiasts is undeniable. Senese emphasized that the threat extends to more than just surfers; swimmers and beach visitors alike are all subject to these potentially life-threatening conditions.
Facing the Fierce Facts: The Mighty Power of Storm Surges
Swell waves from approaching hurricanes tend to incite risky behavior in some surfers despite the high likelihood of causing dangerous surf and rip current conditions warned by the National Hurricane Center. For instance, as Hurricane Lee advanced towards New England, it didn’t deter some daring Long Island surfers from attempting to master 10-foot waves.
Besides ‘destructive waves’, hurricanes also bring potentially devastating flooding from storm surges along coastlines. Observable any time of the year, these abnormal water level rises induced by storms are often associated with hurricanes or other forceful tropical storm systems. Despite becoming a significant threat during hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th, they’re frequently misunderstood.
Deconstructing Storm Surges: What Causes Them? (Hurricane Season)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast predicted a ‘near normal’ 2023 hurricane season. However, scientists from Colorado State University later suggested an ‘above-average’ season was more likely, citing unusually warm sea surface temperatures across chunks of the Atlantic and the introduction of El Niño as potential influencers.
Hurricanes are known for their potent winds, reaching speeds of 157 MPH or more in Category 5 storms. However, the often-underestimated storm surge presents the most significant threat to life. Characterized by an abnormal rise in water levels caused by hurricane-stream winds pushing water towards the coast and onto usually dry land, their destructive impact can be enormous.
Illuminating this with numbers, a 15-foot surge on top of a 2-foot above average high tide creates a 17-foot storm tide. In severe cases, water levels can surge 30 feet or more, as experienced during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Key Factors Influencing Storm Surges
Storm surges’ magnitude is dictated by a hurricane’s maximum wind speeds and size, as documented by the National Hurricane Center. While larger hurricanes typically generate greater storm surges, other factors like atmospheric pressure, ocean floor topography, and coastline shape, as well as the hurricane’s landfall angle, are also significant contributors.
Geographical characteristics further complicate the equation. Certain regions, like the US Gulf Coast, are highly susceptible to severe storm surges, meaning they require less hurricane force to generate a higher surge.
The Lethal Nature of Storm Surges Risks While Surfing
Storm surges pose a considerable threat to coastal regions and can rapidly inundate surrounding areas, including beaches, coastal highways, boats, and structures. Their destructive power can extend to inland regions, increasing flood risks in nearby lakes or rivers.
The unpredictable breaking pattern and inconsistent size of these waves are the main contributors to their lethal nature. A case in point is Porto, a coastal city in northwest Portugal and a popular surfing spot that has endured several damaging storm surges leading to major flooding in recent years. As Luís Madureira Pinto, surfing veteran and SurferToday.com manager, mentioned, “Storm surges are brutal and can bring down a town or fishing village in less than a minute.”
In conclusion, while hurricanes continue to allure thrill-seeking surfers, their associated storm surges pose dangerous threats that demand respect and precaution. The awe-inspiring power of nature, when tamed, can provide exhilarating experiences for surfers, but when underestimated, it often delivers a stern reminder of its indiscriminate destructive potential.
